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By John Fuller
Have you ever noticed that when liberals/socialists don’t like someone opposing their views and advocating a different view, the hue and cry goes out to “level the playing field?” Translation: “We liberals need to reload the dice so we regain the advantage.” I-166 uses the phrase “level playing field” four times! Supporters of I-166 claim that the U.S. Supreme Court decision of Citizens United v. FEC will open the doors to all elections being purchased by the deep pockets of greedy capitalist corporations. But the court (the same court that upheld Obamacare) ruled that free speech and freedom is more important than the risk of a few liberals losing power. If your version of a “level playing field” is to allow labor unions to continue to spend their extorted millions of dollars unlimitedly on the Democrats, and deny corporations (the agencies that provided jobs and create wealth) the ability to promote their views, then vote for I-166. If you value freedom of speech, liberty and equal opportunity to participate in the electoral process, then vote against I-166. Do not be deceived: the attempt to deny corporations basic liberties is another centralized grab for power by statists. |
By Joe Carbonari
Careful now. Let’s slow it down. I think that we may be at risk of giving away what we’re trying to preserve. Let’s not let an ambiguity of wording cloud the meaning, or the results, of our actions. It’s the spirit of our Constitution to “establish Justice … and secure the Blessings of Liberty …” to us all. Us all – not just to the materially blest. To enjoy these Blessings of Liberty we need “free speech.” In political terms, however, truly meaningful free speech is not free of cost. To effectively reach enough voters to make a difference requires money. The right to exercise one’s “free speech” is not, and never has been, unlimited. It is not a license. It does not include the right to drown out the voices of others. Clearly, unlimited, and especially undisclosed, rights of contribution give the means to a few to abuse and to deny this right to the many. That is what CI-166 is meant to address. To protect the most basic rights of the individual against the various collective groups of individuals, be they state or corporation, we must truly preserve each individual’s means to effectively exercise those rights. It’s the spirit of our Constitution. |
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